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Brain Damage Caused by Neuroleptic Psychiatric Drugs

In the past two decades, countless medical studies have shown that use of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs (also known as antipsychotics) is associated with structural brain changes, especially when taking high dosages for a long time. These brain changes can include actual shrinkage of the higher level parts of the brain. The shrinkage can be seen in brain scans and autopsy studies. In response to industry defenders who claim that this shrinkage is from the "mental illness," studies show neuroleptics lead to similar brain changes in animals. While the medical side of large libraries has this information, the public media side of the library does not. In other words, the public, patients and their families are not being informed about what medicine has long known.

Page Neuroleptics shrink brains in monkeys
In this study, both an older neuroleptic (Haldol or "haloperidol") and a newer atypical neuroleptic (Zyprexa or "olanzapine") caused significant shrinkage in the higher level parts of the brains in monkeys. Source: Neuropsychopharmacology 9 March 2005
Page Medical articles on neuroleptic brain damage
These are a few of the many mainstream medical articles indicating that using neuroleptic psychiatric drugs (also known as antipsychotics) can lead to significant structural brain damage.
Page Scientific article: Neuroleptic (antipsychotic) drugs may cause cell death.
This medical research revealed that the neuroleptics (also known as antipsychotics) may not only shrink the brain, but cause actual cell death.
Link Neuroleptic psychiatric drugs apparently impact brain cell numbers.
Here's a follow-up study to the other study of monkeys given neuroleptics (see related content below), "Effect of Chronic Exposure to Antipsychotic Medication on Cell Numbers in the Parietal Cortex of Macaque Monkeys"
Link More about how neuroleptics are shown to harm monkey brains.
More about neuroleptic damage to monkey brains from Biol Psychiatry 2008 April 15: "Effect of chronic antipsychotic exposure on astrocyte and oligodendrocyte numbers in macaque monkeys"
Article A Conversation With Nancy C. Andreasen
The New York Times reports an extremely important discussion with psychiatrist and neuroscientist Nancy C. Andreasen. In he conversation, Prof. Andreasen speaks out about her findings that neuroleptic psychiatric drugs (also known as "antipsychotics") are leading to significant brain atrophy -- or shrinkage -- in patients.
Article Robert Whitaker on Neuroleptic "Brain Damage" Debate
In the "climate crisis" controversy there are deniers, people who are putting out misinformation to cloud the debate about the greenhouse effect. The same thing is true in the debate about brain damage caused by the neuroleptic drugs, also known as antipsychotics. Some scientists, instead of warning the public about the many studies regarding massive brain changes induced by neuroleptics, are hypothesizing - based on fragmentary and contradictory research - that neuroleptics somehow help prevent brain damage. Here Robert Whitaker, in his Mad in America blog, analyzes some of these claim as aired on the PBS national television show, PBS.
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Jay Mahler

Jay is a survivor of forced electroshock who spent ten years in the mental health system. He is now a widely respected leader in California, where he founded Mental Health Consumer Concerns and the California Network of Mental Health Clients. Jay is pictured here at a MindFreedom strategy conference at Highlander. (Photo by Tom Olin.)